Magnetic gear-shifter.



H. F. MARTZ.

MAGNETIC GEAR SHIFTER.

APP LlCATlON FILED mam. i918.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918 UNITED STATES PATENT oFnio HENRY F. MARTZ, OE LIBERTY PARK, MARYLAND.

MAGNETIC GEAR-SHIFTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. MARTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty Park. in the county of' Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magstood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. In the drawing, Figure l is a plan view of a motor vehicle showing the application of the invention, only so much of the vehicle being shown as will suffice to an understandingfof the invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the electric circuits.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes a motor vehicle, the power source of which is the usual internalcombustion engine shown diagrammatically at 6. The hind wheels 7 are driven by the propeller shaft 8 through the usual differential gearing which has not been illustrated as it is well known and forms no part of the present invention. The shaft 8 is connected to the engine shaft by a clutch 9 of any suitable type. A variable speed transmission gearing is also provided by which three forward speeds and one reverse drive are obtained. This gearing is of the slidable gear type, the gears being shifted by rods 10 and 11, respectively. As this type of transmission earing is Well known and its structure is immaterial to the present invention, it has not been illustrated in detail.

The gear shifting rods 1-0 and 11 are actuated by solenoids shown diagrammatically at 12 and 13, respectively. Each solenoid is in three sections which are in axial alinement. A single core is provided for the solenoid, said core being slidable from one section to the other according to which section is energized. The sections of the solenoid 12 are marked R, N and 1, respectively, in- Fig.2, meaning that when its core is drawn into the section B the proper Specification of Letters Patent.

gears are shifted to obtain a reverse drive, when the core is drawn into the section N the gears are in neutral position, and when the core is drawn into the section 1 the first speed ahead is obtained. The solenoid 13 has its sections marked 2, N and 3, and its core is shown at 15. This solenoid sets the gears to the second and third. speeds, with a neutral position therebetween, the same as the solenoid 12. The solenoid core 14 is connected to the gear shift lever or rod 10, and the core 15 is connected to the gear shift rod 11.

At 16 is shown a battery or other source of electric current. One side of the battery is grounded, and a conductor 17 is connected to its other side and leads to a switch lever 18 mounted to travel over a series of switch contacts marked R, N, 1, N, 2, N and 3, respectively, these contacts being wired to corresponding solenoid sections of the solenoids l2 and 13. The two solenoids are grounded. It will therefore be seen that when the switch lever 18 is on any one of the contacts, a corresponding solenoid section is energized and the proper gears are shifted to obtain the desired speed. It will be noted that the solenoid sections which place the gears in neutral position, and their corresponding switch contacts alternate with the solenoid sections which control the different speed and their corresponding switch contacts, and hence the gears are always placed in neutral position before a change of speed is obtained, this being the usual practice in the ordinary manually operated gear shifts.

A single solenoid operates the clutch 9, this solenoid being shown at 19. and its core being connected to the clutch shifter in any suitable manner. One side of this solenoid is grounded. and its other side is connected to a series of switch contacts 20 opposite the contacts marked R, N, 1, etc., which control the gear shifting solenoids. The switch lever 18 also travels over the contacts 20 and therefore controls the clutch shifter solenoid 19. It will be noted that the con tacts 20 are opposite the contacts R, N, 1, etc., and hence, when the lever 18 is swung to obtain any desired speed change, the clutch 9 is first disengaged, this being due to the fact that the first-mentioned contacts are longer than the second-mentioned ones, so that the switch lever engages the former before it reaches the latter.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918. Application filed March 9, 1918. Serial No. 221,433. 1

The car is also provided;with an electrically controlled steering mechanism. The

spindle connecting rod '21 is connected to dle section of the solenoid as shown in Fig 2, and upon energizing one or more of the sections tothe right or the left, the rod 21 is shifted to move the front wheels accordingto the direction it is desired that the car take' The extent to which the rod 21 is shifted depends on the number of solenoidsections which are energized. For a sharp turn, all the solenoid sections to the right or left of..the middle one should be energized,

The steering solenoid 23. is cont rolledby 1 a switch lever 24jconnected to one side of This lever operates over a series of switch The car is also provided with an electrically controlled brake 26', the" control being hadby a solenoid 27v consisting ofthre'e or more sections to obtain, difi'erent degreesof braking force. ,These sections are in almement and a single core is movable from one into the other, the-same as the previously described solenoids. This 'core' 3 1s shown at 28, it being connected to a rod- 29'wh1c'h is "connected many suitable man-- nerto the brake actuatin means. a

The brake solenoid 271s controlled by a switch'lever- 30 connected by the conductor 17 to the current source 16, and operatin in conjunction with switch contacts 31 wire readily effected.

to the sections vof. said solenoid, the same i being groundeduas shown; p v

" The invention provides for complete .control of the car electrically, and as the switr'hes are in one place,- the control is I'clainr; Y i K 1; In a motor vehicle, a variable speed for, electro-responsive means for actuatin the shifting means, the various speed changes alternatingwith neutral positions of the gears, a clutch, electro-responsive When the car is travels' ing straight ahead, the core '22 is in the m1d-.

means for shifting the clutch, and" a switch controlling both of said electro-responsive means, said switch effecting the actuation of the clutch previousto the. shifting of the gears, and having contacts corresponding to the neutral positions of the gear shifts,

said contacts alternating with contacts corresponding to the various: gear-shifts.

v 2. In a motor vehicle, a"variable' speed transmission gearing, shifting means theretions adapted to, be independent v energized f0r,,a solenoid for actuating the shifting. means, said solenoid comprlsin almed secand containing a'single core which is operatively connected to the gear shifting means and is movable from one solenoid section to 2 another, andsaid core when in one of the sections placmg the gears in neutral 'posltion, the last'mentifoned section being alterv nately arranged with respect to the other the current source 16 bytheconductor 17; 7

sections, and'a switch for selectively con trolling thesole'noid sections. contacts connected to the respective sole noid sect-ions, the latter being grounded.

In a, motoryehicle ,-a variable speed transmission gearmg, s h1ft ng means therefor, a soleno d for actuatin gized and containing a'single core which is operatively connected'to the gear shifting means and is movable from. onesolenoi the shifting v means, said solenoid compris ng alined sections' adapted to be independently en'ersection to another, said core when in one of. the sections placing the gears in neutral position, the last-mentioned section being alternately arranged withfrespect to' the other sections. a switch for selectively controlling the solenoid sect ons. a clutch, electro-responsive means for shifting the clutch, and a switch controlling said electro-responsive means, said switch efi'ecting the a'ctuation of the clutch previous to the shifting of: thegears, and the first-mentioned switch 1 having contacts corresponding to the neutral positions of the gear shifts, said conin the presence of two witnesses. U

" HENRY MARTZ.

- Witnesses: I

HOWARD D. Amine, E. Wam'on Banwnwrox. 

